RDA Team members and workers at the East End Debris Management Hub pause for a photo amidst work to clean and clear the temporary dumpsite established after the 2017 hurricanes. Photo: Provided

Employees of the RDA, representatives from VI Government and project employees have a talk about the progress at the East End Management Hub in East End, Tortola. Photo: Provided

Contract Awardee Mr Lance Thomas of LMJ’s Backhoe and Trucking Service, RDA CEO Mr Paul Bayly, Project Manager Helen Haigh and Head of DWM Mr Greg Massicot visit one of 24 special bins placed around Tortola for use by residents to dispose of refrigerators, ranges, windows, doors, furniture, washers, dryers, mattresses, electrical appliances and roofing material. Photo: Provided

The Special Debris Clearance Project campaign began on Monday, July 30, 2018 July and ends on Friday August 3, 2018, according to an official joint press release issued by RDA and DWN on Thursday, August 2, 2018.

Residents are being urged to deposit bulky waste in 24 specially marked bins placed around Tortola, while crews are being deployed on Jost van Dyke to address debris collection there.

Additional funding is expected to address remaining hurricane debris clearance needs on Anegada and Virgin Gorda.

 The debris collection contracts were awarded to nine contractors who will be managed by Project Manager Helen Haigh on behalf of the RDA, while the DWM will monitor the daily operations of the project. 

 Targeted Areas

To target the areas that are heavily inundated with debris, the Department of Waste Management has separated the islands that will be addressed into six working zones.

Each zone will receive up to four bins for the disposal of refrigerators, ranges, windows, doors, furniture, washers, dryers, mattresses, electrical appliances and roofing material. 

Residents are encouraged to continue to use the regular disposal bins for all other types of refuse like carcasses, vehicle parts, commercial waste and residential and household waste. 

The specially marked bins will be emptied Monday through Saturday and will be available to accept debris 24 hours a day for seven days a week.

Residents who decide to use the bins should deposit all debris inside the bins to ensure the areas around each bin remains tidy and do not obstruct the motoring public as some bins appear near to the roadside.

Residents with special needs and the elderly will be contacted and assisted to remove debris from in and around the home.

Zones  

The zones and area within each zone, where bins can be found are as follows:

• Zone 1 Dumpsites: Sea Cow's Bay; Entrance of Horse Track Road, Carrot Bay; Near Post Office, Carrot Bay; Near Primary School and West End; Opposite Community Centre.
• Zone 2 Dumpsites: Lower Estate; Near Softball Field and Under Tamarind Tree, near the Huntum's Ghut Basketball Court and in John's Hole near the Royal Virgin Islands Police Station.
• Zone 3 Dumpsites: Fahie Hill by the Look Out, Sage Mount at the Cross Road, Cane Garden Bay by the Gas Station and in Meyers by Rudy's Bar.
• Zone 4 Dumpsites: Johnson's Ghut at the Old Island Department Store, Free Bottom; Near Existing Bins, Baugher's Bay-Near Primary School and Belle Vue by the Basketball Gym.
• Zone 5 Dumpsites: Brandywine Bay at the end of Beach, Fat Hog's Bay; Near Junk Yard, Fat Hog's Bay; Near the Tennis Court and in Vanterpool's Estate, near former Bobby's Supermarket.
• Zone 6 Dumpsites: Little Dix Hill; near Cross Road, Greenland; near the Car Wash, East End; Opposite Police Station and East End; Between Chapel Hill and the QEII Bridge.

The Special Debris Clearance Contract is budgeted to cost approximately $560,000, which will fund the cost of equipment use, labour, processing of debris and a community information programme throughout August 2018. 

Hurricane Season

All works must be completed by the end of August—ahead of the peak of the 2018 hurricane season.  

The Special Debris Clearance Project was designed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Development to address large deposits of debris in the hillsides and across communities on Tortola and Jost Van Dyke following the passages of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

The Special Debris Clearance Project is the first of many projects that will be advertised and managed by the RDA.

The RDA is committed to working with the respective Ministries of Government to design and deliver beneficial and cost effective projects for the recovery of The Virgin Islands.

The RDA is committed to transparency, efficiency, project delivery and systems transformation.